Orange and Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 375. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Step 2

   Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. The butter will melt and start to crackle and pop. Watch it closely because you don't want it to burn. It will turn a pretty amber color and smell nutty, and there will be little delicious browned bits. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl so that it does not continue cooking.

3. Step 3

   In a large bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub them together with your fingers until all the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk them all together.

4. Step 4

   Measure the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the egg plus egg yolk and orange juice. Lightly whisk them together. Then pour the brown butter in just a little at a time, whisking between each addition. This will help to temper the eggs so they don't cook and scramble in the bowl.

5. Step 5

   Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

6. Step 6

   The batter will be THICK. Divide it evenly between the prepared muffin cups.

7. Step 7

   To make the streusel, add the 3 tablespoons of sugar and the reserved orange zest to a medium bowl. Work them together with your fingers just like you did with the batter. Add the softened butter and flour to the bowl and continue working together with your hands until coarse crumbs form, the largest crumbs about the size of peas. Sprinkle the streusel all over the muffin batter. There will be enough to completely cover each muffin.

8. Step 8

   Bake for 18-20 mins, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.